"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated September 11, 1910:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (FEBRUARY 21, 2021):
Well, first things first. Welcome to Pikes Peak! If you (like me) need a brief introduction to today's American attraction, look no further: - 1/20
This is a really wonderful strip. There are a lot of things worth discussing, but let's start with the layout. - 2/20
This layout features two kinds of blockages. In tier one, we have a z-blockage and, in tier two, we have a true blockage. - 3/20 [INSERT IMAGES]
We've seen these before in McCay's work, but this is a bit different; it attempts to parallel itself in a very interesting way straight down the middle gutter of the comic. - 4/20
If you look at the panel organization, it seems as though the page is inverting itself: Long vertical panel(s) coupled with two stacked smaller panels. - 5/20 [INSERT IMAGE]
They aren't identical (the top tier features two vertical panels vs. the bottom tiers one larger one), but what they lack is spatial conformity, they present as narrative uniformity. - 6/20
Notice that both these sections are focused on location's visited by our heroes. - 7/20 [INSERT IMAGE]
This presents a really cool formal/narrative fusion that fosters interesting meaning making opportunities. - 8/20
For instance, I read the spatial inversion here are replicating the feeling of the table being overturned in panels 5 and 6. As a result, the layout is similarly upended. - 9/20
It also allows McCay to bookend the sightseeing experience. We both begin and end with the locations of focus. - 10/20
That we end the strip by hitting the peak (after the boys assured the Captain that he was flying high enough for it not to be a problem) is also humourous! - 11/20
From near miss to collision, the strip comes full circle in a really neat and innovative way (I think). - 12/20
Narratively, Nemo seems to be full of (false?) bravado that he knows the geography of the US well enough that Flip need not worry about seeing all of it's greatest sights! - 13/20
It rings as a young boy trying to impress his friend, but really not knowing as much as he thinks (or pretends) to know. - 14/20
It's interesting that we spoke a bit about this yesterday; how does Nemo's knowledge (or lack thereof) about the locations we'll be seeing inform the way that we engage with them? - 15/20
They are all *dream* versions of the real things, right? Will there be subtle changes wrought by the imagination of a young, sleeping boy? Innocent inaccuracies born of childish ignorance? It's worth keeping an eye out for. - 16/20
Note that in the airship's dining room, there seems to be a bust of Mr. Gosh… when did they get this? It says "Greetings from Mars". Was this *sent* to the airship since their departure? Did the Captian procure it while the boys were out? - 17/20
Either way, it smashes pretty quickly. A subtle hint from McCay to pay close attention to the sights that our Earth can provide as opposed to the sci-fi imaginings of another planet? - 18/20
We end the strip with another example of a fellow who recognizes Nemo and the crew. Obviously, as the star of his own dream, this makes sense, but it's a trope that has (obviously) been absent for a while (since they were off world and such). - 19/20
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #257. What's yours? - 20/20
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